A Life Moving Forward
by msmeowsome
Summary: An AU story featuring Liz. This will show how she is moving on from Jason, learning from her mistakes, forging new friendships and kindling a new relationship.
1. Chapter 1

A.N. This will be my first fan fiction story in several years and the first for GH. This story is Liz-centric, with Franco. Yes, Jasam will be in it and no, that does not mean there will be any bashing of the characters. I think we can all agree that everyone in Port Charles has made mistakes, whether monumental or miniscule. I do not want this to be a place to bash Liz or Sam or Jason.

A.N. #2: This will be AU in the sense it will not necessarily follow timeline or canon, though both may show up.

*** I ask that if you absolutely HATE Liz, please either leave the story now and do not review OR provide only productive criticism towards my writing or portrayal of ALL characters. DO NOT bash Liz. I know Sam fans and Liz fans are passionate, but I do not care to rehash who is better for Jason or who has done the worse offense on the show. ***

A CONVERSATION: PART DEUX

The key slid easily into the lock and turned without any effort on her part. It was one tiny change between her new Brownstone condo and the old house, no sticky locks. Probably because sticky fingers hadn't tried to unlock the door yet.

It was late, only one light burned on the mantle to illuminate the living room and welcome her home. The condo was quiet, Jake and Aden were at the Quartermaines (weird as that was for Liz to admit) and Cam out with friends.

She dropped her purse on the entry table and toed off her shoes, kicking them underneath it. She wanted a hot bubble bath with a glass of wine, preferably before any of her children showed up. She was off duty for dinner plans and wasn't hungry to attempt to cook for one person.

Her day had started off with Franco ending their friendship, then Jason had demanded Jake's art therapy with Franco to end, no matter that it was _actually_ helping their kid recover memories from his time on Cassadine Island. To top it all off was learning Sam was pregnant with Jason's kid and may have contracted malaria while in Greece. And that was all before work started.

Liz didn't even want to think about her day on the floor at GH. She wanted to put it all behind her. The silence Sam asked her to keep about the pregnancy. Franco's dismissal of their friendship, perhaps the only true friend she had in all of Port Charles at the moment. Not to forget, the murders happening in the halls of GH.

With a sigh, she made her way to the kitchen, flipping lights on as she went, then pulled the lonely bottle of Riesling from the fridge and grabbed the opener from the drawer. She had just poured a generous glass and was heading towards the stairs to get the tub started when a hard knock sounded at her front door.

She stifled the urge to roll her eyes at the interruption. She set the wineglass down on the entryway table next to her keys and opened the door.

"Jason," she said with exasperated surprise in her voice, "what are you doing here?"

"Can I come in?" He asked, his gaze already moving past hers and into the condo.

"Jake is still at your mother's." Liz offered, even as Jason brushed past her.

"Good," he stated, his hands on his hips as he turned to face her. "I'd rather he not be here for this."

It was the first time Jason had been in her new place. It was cozier than the last house, the living room a bit smaller, but the furniture was kid-friendly and homey. Not like the stark leather of his penthouse. Pictures lined the mantle and tables, on the walls, including a framed print of artwork he recognized as Jake's.

"I was just about to take a bath while the boys are out. It's been a long day, Jason," Liz began and closed the door, giving herself a moment to take a deep breath. Eyeing the glass of wine, she picked it up and took a sip.

"This shouldn't take long."

They stared at each other. Liz waiting to hear what he had come to say. It couldn't possibly be about Jake because he had made himself perfectly clear earlier. Perhaps Sam had told him and he wanted her reassurance as a medical professional on what to do next.

"I wanted to continue our conversation from earlier," he started, "it feels like we didn't finish it."

Or not, she thought.

"I think we did," Liz replied flatly.

"See, you say that, but you didn't agree to end Jake's meetings with Franco," he said in a voice Liz was beginning to hate hearing from him.

"Because I won't agree to that, Jason," she said having to hold up her hand to stop his protest. "These aren't impromptu get togethers, these are specific art therapy sessions. Franco has been able to help Jake in ways that a regular therapist hasn't been able to."

"I don't want him around my kid!" Jason fairly exploded when she finished, throwing his hands up in the air in his frustration. "And he sees him outside of a therapy session. Franco was in your house making toast!"

"He's my kid too and that happened one time," Liz stated calmly in direct contrast to his outburst. "Jake has a regular therapist he sees twice a week and he does one session with Franco. You would know this if you had actually checked in with me while you were out of town. Dr. Waters agrees with the art therapy and encourages it. And yes, I have checked, there are no other art therapists around to switch him to."

Liz crossed her arms and waited.

"Then find a specialist. Don't worry about the cost, just find someone else," Jason suggested.

"He has a specialist . . . In Franco."

"Why are you fighting me on this? We're both his parents, we need to be on the same page for his sake."

Liz struggled with how to respond. She wasn't completely sure why she was fighting him on it. Lord knows Franco no longer wanted to be her friend or whatever it was they might have been moving towards. She only knew that her son was coming out of his shell and was forging friendships with his brothers, instead of holding himself apart from them. He even wanted to spend time with Danny, his resentment towards him fading.

Some could be attributed to his sessions with Dr. Waters, but she felt it was also in part due to his art sessions with Franco.

"Jason, I need you to realize that I'm not fighting you on this. You haven't been here to see the differences in Jake since he's been in therapy. He's happier than before, he no longer resents his brothers or their relationship with me. He's begun to unlock some of his memories from being held hostage on Cassadine Island. This is all because of Dr. Waters _and_ his time with Franco," Liz explained with forced politeness.

"Liz, you know what he did to Sam, what he did to a lot of people in Port Charles," Jason replied with a tight jaw. "You can't possibly believe his story that he's a changed man!"

"Franco had a brain tumor and since his surgery he has done everything he can to turn his life around. He received certification in art therapy and holds a job at GH. He has contributed to the Nurse's Ball both in personal time and money to it. How long must one suffer for past mistakes?"

The question was asked quietly.

"Longer than he has." Came the blunt answer.

Liz nodded to herself, her heart breaking because it was obvious Jason was not going to budge.

"Then I guess we're at an impasse," she finally said. "I refuse to take away from Jake something that is working for him. If you don't believe me or feel like I'm looking at it through rose-colored glasses, then please contact Dr. Waters and confirm with her. She is working closely with Franco and Jake. She can provide you with her insight."

Jason watched her pick up the glass of wine she had put down on the coffee table and walk over to the front door. She opened it and looked at him expectantly.

He shook his head at her before heading over. He stopped just over the threshold and turned back to look at her. "I'll talk to Dr. Waters, but I doubt she'll change my mind about Franco."

Liz watched him storm down the front path, barely stopping to open the gate separating the front yard from the street. She flipped on the front porch light, closed the door and went upstairs to finally start her bath.


	2. Another Day, Another Issue

A.N. Sorry for the delay. I was on vacation and didn't have time to write. My time was spent drooling over my brand new nephew! :)

A.N.2 : I would like to remind everyone that this is an AU story. I did not watch GH when Roger Howarth took over as Franco. So I'm not completely up to speed on all of the misdeeds that he perpetuated against Sam or Carly or Elizabeth. I'm taking this story from after Franco's brain surgery and his progress from then. I can understand from his current storyline that he is struggling with being a good guy versus bad and how to go about it. I understand Jason's animosity towards him, but because Jason has forgiven Sam for all of her misdeeds, I am taking some liberty in how he reacts to Franco and Liz's budding relationship. And honestly, I'm tired of Jason/Carly/Sonny/Sam/et al having free reign to condemn everyone and anyone in town for their mistakes, but heaven forbid they ever get called out on their own!

***Again, this is a Liz-centric story. If you hate or despise Liz, then please do not read OR provide only constructive criticism of my writing. I won't read or respond to any Liz or Sam bashing.***

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER ISSUE

Sam let herself into the penthouse and closed the door quietly. The living room was still pretty bare as though Jason didn't have the time or inclination to decorate. Sam had gone through and sold most of the furniture after Jason's "death" and anything leftover had been donated or given to Carly's boys or Monica. There had been little Sam had wanted to keep for herself or Danny.

Come to think of it, she had packed what few pictures she had when she had accepted Patrick's marriage proposal. And those boxes had remained unopened after the engagement ended.

Sam rubbed a hand over her flat belly. She was pregnant. And she had caught Zika during a brief stop in Florida after leaving Greece. Jason had wanted to give her a weekend in the Keys to relax. Now, there was a possibility of birth defects. She didn't know what to do. There were no tests available at this stage in her pregnancy to determine if the baby would have any issues.

"Jason? You here?" She called up the stairs. When no answer came, Sam sunk down into the brown leather sofa. She leaned her head against the back and sighed.

She wanted to cry. A new baby should be exciting, a sibling for Danny, a new life for the start of their new life together. Yet, all Sam could think about was how unplanned, unexpected and . . . Even unwanted, a baby would be at this time. Jason had just gotten his memories back, they were just now falling in love again. Danny finally had a father around every morning and evening. They needed time as a family of three before adding to it.

Sam offered up a silent prayer for guidance and allowed the tears to fall from her eyes.

"Hey, buddy, you're up early," Liz said as she walked into the kitchen. Cam was already at the table with a bowl of cereal and half-eaten banana in front of him. His backpack open on the chair next to him. He was rummaging through it.

"Yeah, I forgot about my math homework. I wanted to finish it before leaving for the bus," he replied, pulling a red notebook and folder from the backpack.

He barely glanced up at his mom while speaking. Cam just wanted to get his homework done and get out the door before he said anything to upset his mom. She had been so sad lately, between Jason leaving them to Jake's continued therapy. He could count on one hand how many times she had voluntarily smiled at any of them. She worked too hard and too long, he felt, but couldn't say anything without making her feel bad, which was the last thing he ever wanted to do.

Liz ruffled his curly hair as she passed behind him, her only focus being on the coffee pot. She had exactly twenty minutes to savor time alone with her eldest before getting Aiden and Jake up for school.

"It's not like you to forget your homework," she commented as she prepared the coffee pot. "Something on your mind last night?"

Cam shrugged and made a noise in the back of his throat, his gaze on the worksheet in front of him, though he could just make out his mom's face in his peripheral vision. Her back was to him, but that didn't mean she couldn't see everything. He wondered about her ability to see everything going on around her.

"Just busy."

"Uh huh, more like you and your friends went directly to the skate park after school and not to Justin's house to do homework first," Liz teased him.

She didn't worry about Cam as much as she did about Jake or even Aiden. He was her responsible child, the overprotective big brother, her anchor and light of her life. He grew more and more like Xander every year. How she wished he was still alive to see how amazing their son had grown.

Her grin faded as it dawned on her, as it always did at random times, how many friends she had lost over the years. Cam would never know his biological father and grandfather, both gone too soon.

"You're worrying again," Cam stated. He had watched as the bright smile left his mom's face and a frown replace it. He wished he knew what went through her mind when she got quiet. Did she think about his bio dad? Or her ex-husband? Or maybe Jason leaving? It didn't bother him that he and his brothers had different fathers. His dad was dead, Jake and Jake's dad had both been presumed dead and Aiden's dad had been out of the picture for so long. It just meant that his mom had terrible taste in men, always picking those that wouldn't or couldn't stand by her.

"I was just thinking about your dad. How much you're starting to look like him."

Cam's brows shot up. She never spoke about his dad, not unless he asked.

"Really?"

"Definitely. Though your curls are from me." Liz grinned at him. Her son did not like his curly head. "It seems all my boys are destined to look more like their fathers and less like me."

"Does that bother you?" Cam asked, twirling the pencil between his fingers.

"No," Liz answered without a hesitation. "You?"

Cam sat staring at his hands, his homework forgotten in front of him. He heard his mom round the table and sit across from him. It was beginning to feel like a serious conversation. And he didn't want that for his mom. He wanted to keep his mouth shut about everything that had happened and let her handle it in her own way. She'd be fine without any input from him.

"Cam?" Liz asked quietly, reaching across the table to hold his hand. "Does it bother you that you and your brothers have different fathers?"

"No," he said softly, meeting her eyes briefly and the love and concern he saw in them made his chest hurt. "I never knew my bio dad, so it never really mattered to me. I always saw Lucky as Jake and Aiden's dad, and he loved me, too. So it was okay, you know? But then Jason was around a lot. And with Lucky gone to Ireland and us on our own, I had hoped Jason would be our dad. Like Sonny is with his kids?"

Liz nodded to let him know she was listening. Lucky had been Cam's dad, but then sometime between Lucky leaving for Ireland and Jake and Jason dying, Cam had started to call him Lucky again. They had agreed not to analyze it or force him to call Lucky anything but what he felt comfortable with.

Cam was silent for a long time. He knew there had been other men in his mom's life. He didn't know the particulars of any of those relationships, but he knew about Jake Doe.

Jake Doe aka Jason Morgan he was most mad at.

"Cam?"

"Why did he leave us?" Cam asked suddenly, his voice raised higher than before. Liz sat back in her chair, the outburst unexpected.

"Who, buddy, who left us?"

"Jake! Or Jason or whatever he's calling himself! I get why he left you, because you lied to him, but he made promises to us! To me and Jake and Aiden. He said he loved us and wanted to be our dad. Just because you lied doesn't mean that we did!" Cam yelled angrily. "He just packed his things and went away. He spends all of his time with Sam and Danny. He leaves the country without even telling us, barely calls us anymore, unless he wants to talk to Jake. Aiden cries himself to sleep most nights because Jake, sorry Jason, isn't around to read him a story or tuck him in, so I have to do it."

Cam could feel tears burning his eyes and swiped at them to keep them from falling. His mom's pale face even more ghostly, her eyes wide as she stared at him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered and ran around the table to hug her tight. "I'm so sorry, mom, I didn't mean it! I swear. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Without fail her arms closed around him tightly. She never refused a hug no matter how tired or angry or sad she was.

"Oh buddy, you don't have to be sorry. You have every right to be upset or angry at Jason," Liz soothed, rubbing her son's back as she held him tight.

Cam sniffled and pulled away from her. He was taller than her when she sat, so she looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"I can't speak for Jason's actions, but I know that he does care about you and your brothers, not just Jake," Liz began, her voice calm and quiet. "I'm sorry that he has hurt you because of something I did. I can't change the past and I can't force Jason to be here if he doesn't want to be. He has a life with Sam and Danny."

"He just left us, Mom," Cam choked out. "One day he was here and you were getting married, then the next he was gone. He didn't say good-bye or explain why he was leaving. You did that. You told us about the lie and asked us for forgiveness."

"Baby, I am so sorry."

Cam wiped at his eyes, then gave up and grabbed the dish towel off the stove to wipe his face with. He didn't know what else to say.

Jason is a jerk and a liar himself, Cam thought angrily.

Liz watched as her son stuffed his homework back into his bag with jerky movements. He wouldn't look at her, either ashamed at his outburst or over his tears. Her boy never cried. He had stepped up after Jason left. He had helped with Jake and Aiden, making their lunches for school or reading to them at night. He had encouraged Jake in his drawing and given him an ear when therapy had made Jake upset. The kid was mature beyond his twelve years. And Liz didn't know what she would do without him.

"Why don't we go to the bowling alley after school today? I'm off work," Liz suggested.

"I don't know."

"We can pretend the pins are everybody who has ever made us mad or sad," she cajoled with a slight grin. "We can have pizza and milkshakes for dinner."

Cam had a weakness for chocolate milkshakes and his mom knew it.

"Fine, we can go."

Liz gave him a wide smile. He added it to the tally he was keeping of her smiles. He didn't like being a cause a sadness for her. He gave her a kiss and a quick hug before heading out to the bus stop.

As he waited for the school bus to lumber down the street, he sent up a prayer for his mom to find someone who would love her for herself and would have enough love to give to him and his brothers. He wanted her happiness more than anything else in the world.

***I apologize for any grammar or spelling mistakes, I did not edit this before posting***


End file.
